The invention relates to a method and a device for removing a layer made of at least one first material from a surface of a body made of at least one second material. Examples of such bodies are structural elements of machines or equipment whose surface is frequently provided with a coating made of another material, such as, for example, a lacquer or a similar protective coat. A particularly preferred use relates to structural elements of aircraft engines, in particular components, for instance, profiles subject to flow such as, for example, rotor blades or guide blades or arrays. Examples of these types of layers are, in particular, thermal barrier coatings or ceramic layers, for example, coatings containing ZrO2 or Al2O3, especially defective coatings on structural elements that are newly manufactured or that need to be repaired.
Normally, grinding methods have been used until now for this, in which a grinding material is used to process the surface manually or with the aid of a grinding machine. In the case of other methods, chemical cleaning or caustic agents are used to corrode and strip off the to-be-removed layer. In particular, thermal barrier coatings or ceramic layers are frequently removed by means of high-pressure water jets, especially also in combination with KOH lye. These types of methods are frequently quite expensive, the use of which is associated with expensive equipment or with an undesired change to the adhesive layer.
A method for the shot-peening treatment of integrally bladed rotors is known from the pre-characterizing clause of Claim 1 of German Patent Document No. DE 10 2008 014 726 A1. However, this might result at the same time in damage to the adhesive layer, i.e., the surface layer to which the to-be-removed layer is adhered; or to the body made of the second material, i.e., the base material.
The object of the present invention is to improve the removal of a layer from a surface of a body.